


Was it worth it?

by mk94



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Childhood Friends, M/M, Omega Gavin Reed, Omega Verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27648098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mk94/pseuds/mk94
Summary: Journalist Tina Chen has her interview with no other than current prisoner Richard 'Nines' Anderson. The one who became a criminal to save his childhood friend.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 15
Kudos: 79





	Was it worth it?

The journalist took a deep breath before thanking the security guard as he led her into a small room where the man sat, chained to the white table in the center.

He looked up at her with calmness that she didn’t understand. This very alpha was involved in arms and drug trafficking. He led his own group, owned a large area and could have overthrown the biggest drug lord in Detroit if he were interested in doing so…

She stiffened when he smiled at her softly before gesturing her to take the seat in front of him.

His orange jumpsuit he wore couldn’t over shine the brightness in his blue eyes staring directly into her soul. His scent was as calm as was his look at her.

Taking another breath, she cleared her throat as she sat down nervously.

“Hello Mr. Anderson. My name is Tina Chen, journalist from Detroit News. I’m writing an article about you and would like to ask you some questions”

The man nodded and watched her with such patience that Tina just couldn’t describe.

“Okay…uhm,” she took out her notepad and pencil,” how about we start with the main story that made you …” she chuckled nervously,” …popular?”

When nothing was said in reply, she rolled her shoulders to get the nervousness out of her body.

“So…Mr. Richard ‘Nines’ Anderson. You are the youngest son of Lieutenant Hank Anderson and brother of Detective Connor Anderson and Special Agent Conrad ‘Sixty’ Anderson. And while your whole family is working for the police force, you chose the opposite path as your life carrier”

Tina looked up to see the prisoner smile fondly while hearing about his family. She continued with her current information.

“You started your carrier as paper boy, you spent your time as waiter at a café and a night restaurant at the same time. Later you worked at the waste disposal and as courier.”

Looking up from her notes, she stated,” and then…nothing. Nothing till the moment a raid led by Agent Anderson exposed you as the leader of the current Red Ice circle and the closest members to the drug lord Zlatko Andronikov.”

Shrugging without a care in the world, Mr. Anderson nodded, confirming that till now, everything about this story was correct.

“Now my …I think my only question about all this is…” Tina shook her head, looking at the alpha puzzled.

“Why? Why all this? You never went to college and put all your time and strength in these jobs and out of the nowhere you throw your life away and running a red ice circle? Was it the money? A childhood dream?”

“It was not out of nowhere,” Mr. Anderson replied softly, eyes looking at her with such a meaning behind them.

Slowly, Tina leaned forward, whispering to the alpha with excitement.

“…Tell me your side of story, Mr. Anderson”

“Hello Mr. Anderson!” A small omega boy shouted excited as the front door opened,” Can I play with Richard?”

Hank smiled down at the eager child ,”of course, Gavin. You want to play here? Or have you planned something in your garden?”

“My garden!” the ten year old smiled brightly, his eyes shining when he saw the three year old child toddle towards them in his puppy-onesie,” you’re so adorable!”

“Gavin…” the tiny alpha smiled sweetly, lifting his arms all ready to be picked up by him.

Hank watched amused as his youngest son was easily lifted in the child’s arms and carried away to the neighbor’s garden,” be back at 12! He needs his naptime!”

“Okay!”

“And number three wins! Yeah!” Gavin cheered excited as he watched a snail with a painted ‘3’ on its shell crossed the finish line that the boy made out of his Granny’s garn.

“Yay…” Richard clapped his hands happily, watching with fascination the little slow creatures creeping around the ground.

“´How about we give the snails a break and watch the clouds?” Gavin asked, putting the snails away in his jam jar filled with grass, leaves and branches and lied down on the ground, Richard following his lead.

While watching the clouds passing by, Gavin began to tell stories about them, how alpha knights fight dragons and saving omega princes and princesses.

He sighed dreamily,” I want to be a knight one day”

Richard looked over to him, seeing him smile as he shrugged,” I know, I know…I’m an omega. But I think I can be a knight too if I really want to,” he grinned over to the toddler,” but I’m sure that if I’m that stupid prince in distress, that you will save me Richard. You and your cute face,” he giggled, cuddling the happy toddler.

Water balloons crashed down near them, the water splashing everywhere and getting them wet.

“Hey!” Gavin sat up glaring at those alpha twins from behind the fence.

“Enemy located,” the first brunette mumbled in his fist, as if talking into a walkie-talkie” initiate water bombs, level green, krrr, over”

The twin brother lifted up said green water balloons and throwing them at Gavin.

“GET LOST!!” Gavin snapped, jumping to his feet and running towards the fence, already seeing the twins escaping,” I’M GONNA TELL YOUR DAD!!”

“No you won’t!” one boy was heard.

Richard meanwhile glanced up and saw one of his brothers creeping up on him silently picking him up while Gavin was still yelling at the fence.

“Gavin!” the toddler shouted out while Conrad ran back to their garden, laughing when Gavin screeched after them.

“Give him back!!!” was shouted.

Richard then found himself placed in a box and watched the twins standing there, shielding him from Gavin who came running after them with a long stick as weapon.

“You have to get through us first!” Connor shouted like a villain, his fists placed on his hips and his chest puffed up.

“But an omega is no match for us two alphas!” Conrad added, laughing just like a villain, also holding out his wooden sword while Connor readied his plastic ‘laser’ sword which had a blue glow.

“I’m gonna save you Richard!!” Gavin promised and ran into battle with the older twins.

For any other adult, it was just a bunch of children playing with their sticks and swords with the baby sitting in the box and watching.

But for Richard, it was an epic fight with the two evil overlords capturing Richard and his hero Gavin risking his life to save him. In the end, their father came out to the garden and announced that it was naptime for Richard and the sleepy boy noticed his brothers and Gavin to groan in dissatisfaction.

“But I didn’t save him yet!” Gavin shouted with the twins nodding in unison.

“You can save him later when he had his nap,” Hank chuckled, picking the whining Richard out of the box and walking back inside.

Gavin was everything to Richard. He was the first omega next to his mother who held him when he was just a newborn.

They never where separated for long and Richard heard once Gavin’s grandma joking something about hearing wedding bells to his father. While Hank was laughing with the grandma, Gavin blushed and hugged the three year old,” it’s not my fault that he’s the only alpha I like!! Everyone else is stupid!”

And then, it was over.

Richard was five when an expensive looking black car arrived with a beautiful omega woman climbing out of it in her expensive high heels and her red suit with a white fluffy fur coat.

He was playing in the sandbox his father put out in the front yard with Gavin. Gavin was telling him a story about an omega pirate queen that his granny told him about while Connor and Conrad where playing police again. This time it was Conrad’s turn to be the robber.

Richard was the first to notice the woman approaching them, eyes wide at the fluffy coat she wore. Her dark brown locks bounced with every step she took towards them and perfectly manicured fingers removed the sunglasses that hid her dark blue eyes.

“Are you Gavin Reed?” she asked as she stopped at the sandbox. Gavin looked up at her confused before nodding.

Her red lips turn into a knowing smile and she kneeled down to his height,” hello Gavin, do you know who I am?”

Gavin glanced over to Richard who shrugged. Connor and Conrad stopped playing as well. Richard noticed Conrad running back inside, probably to warn his father that a stranger was with them.

“No ma’am,” Gavin answered carefully, fumbling with his dirty hands and watching her awkwardly as she chuckled sweetly.

“It’s okay to not know it, sweety. I am Michelle Kamski, the wife of your father, Gavin. Do you know who your father is, Gavin?”

The boy shook his head. Richard frowned at the woman. He wanted to play with Gavin and she was disturbing them from doing so.

“Can we continue playing, Gavin?” He asked the omega, hoping that it would help. It didn’t.

“Mommy just wants to talk to Gavin a bit, alright?” she smiled at Richard with that sweet smile, but her eyes looked down on him, like he was worth nothing, unlike his friend apparently.

Being the alpha child of one Hank Anderson, Richard didn’t back down but glared at her, growling.

That made her sniff in disgust and standing up again,” I heard you live with your Grandma here, Gavin?”

Gavin was petting the growling Richard’s shoulder before nodding,” yes, Ma’am. Just next door”

“How about I have a little chat with her? Meanwhile I suggest you clean up a bit”

“Uhm…okay?” Gavin stood up, patted down some sand from his knees and followed her to his home, waving at the angry alpha shortly before turning away again.

“Where is the stranger!?” Hank came busting out the front door, just in his boxers and a towel around his head. Conrad ran up just behind him. Connor pointed over to their neighbors’ home answering the question.

“She asked for Gavin and now they walked home, dad!”

Not waiting for more explanation, Hank run back in and out, fully clothed now and over to the Reeds.

The three boys waited for hours for them to emerge from the house. Richard looking around the fence while his brothers where both tall enough to glance over the fence to sneak a look.

Around evening, the door opened to a Mrs. Kamski dragging a crying and yelling Gavin after her.

His Grandma was crying in Hank’s arms as he tried to keep his fury in.

“LET ME GO! I DON’T WANNA GO!!” Gavin cried and threw himself on the ground.

“Stop this, boy. An omega doesn’t act this way” Mrs. Kamski hissed and kept on dragging the boy towards her car.

“GRANDMA!!” Gavin cried out and locked eye contact with Richard who watched them with his brothers in shock,” RICHARD! HELP ME!”

Woken up from his shock, Richard sped towards them and grabbed his desperate friend and dragged him away from that beast.

“Let him go!!” He yelled at her, feeling his eyes filling with tears.

“This is legally my son, you little maggot. Get off of him or I will ruin your life before it even begu-“

“No!” Gavin cried,” no! Let him alone!”

“I will, if you stop making a scene and get in the car” she snapped at him finally.

Gavin stood up again, sniffed and whined and whipped his tears away before hugging Richard who stared at him in horror. This could not be happening.

“I’ll miss you, Richard,” Gavin sniffed, letting go and getting dragged into the car, looking over his shoulder and waving at his Grandma who burst out in bitter tears as she collapsed into Hank’s arms.

“You can’t take him away!” Richard snapped at Mrs. Kamski as she closed the car door for Gavin. She turned around unimpressed and cocked her head,” I just did”

“But he’s mine!!” Richard growled, fletching his teeth angrily.

Chuckling amused, the omega woman smirked down at the five year old,” are you willing to pay for him, maggot?”

Richard nodded quickly and rummaged in his pockets, pulling out a quarter, a small packet gummy bears and a fruit chew together with a beautiful red button.

Holding it up to her he said seriously,” I also have a piggy bank in my room. I can get it for you”

The sweet smile was all he received before the woman turned away towards her car.

“If you want my son for marriage, I expect something around 20 thousand dollar at least,” she said bored,” until then, don’t come near him”

She climbed in and drove away, ignoring the crying boy in the back seat or the five year old running after the car till he collapsed under exhaustion.

“So because of your childhood friend, you started collecting money?” Tina asked interested, writing her notes fast, not seeing the alpha smile at her.

“Yes. My first business plan before selling newspaper was selling lemonade for a thousand dollar a cup”

He chuckled when the journalist stared at him, shrugging easily,” I thought it would work”

Looking down at his chained hands he continued,” I sold my lemonade for an agreeable price, I helped around the house to raise my pocket money and helped around the streets to earn some money. I started as paper boy only when I was old enough“

Watching him intently, Tina whispered,” There was more, wasn’t there?”

Richard was riding his bicycle as he delivered a package for Mrs. Fowler. She said it was a present for her Husband and since his dad was working at the station too, he knew where to go.

Passing the omega private school was usual for him. He passed that posh building every time he and his brothers went to school.

But there was that scent that made him stop. He looked over his shoulder, recognizing a teen leaning against the fancy marble fountain, playing something on his phone.

“Gavin?!”

The boy looked up surprised, eyes widened when he saw the young alpha climbing off his bike and running towards the palings.

“Richard! Don’t-!!” Gavin shouted frightened and flinching away when the ten year old grabbed the bars and getting electrocuted. Letting go in pain and shock, Richard stared at the fence and back to Gavin.

“I tried to warn you,” he sighed,” that way, no unauthorized alpha can get in here…”

“I…I see…” Richard rubbed his hands painfully, blowing softly at them.

“Look at you,” the teen chuckled, “ …so grown up now…”

Both were smiling, happy to finally see each other again.

“And when she finally got the hint that I’m not the omega she wanted,” Gavin explained while munching his lunch,” she banned me to this stupid school”

“What a bummer,” Richard sighed, but looked up with excitement,” I’m collecting money right now to buy you free!”

“Really?” Gavin gave him a doubtful look.

The young alpha nodded happily,” yes, I have three and half thousand already!”

“Wha-that’s amazing!” the omega laughed impressed,” and then, when you buy me off, Michelle will finally stop trying to marry me off to some stupid alpha…”

Richard gave him a worried look, which made the other explain,” I mean, she apparently wants the best for me but I just don’t want to marry anybody I don’t even know. This, she won’t understand”

“What if I give her the money and then marry you?” the younger boy asked, making the teen blush in embarrassment.

“Don’t say stuff like that!”

“Why? Don’t you want to marry me? I would like to…” Richard asked honestly not at all understanding why Gavin was reacting this way.

To his defense, he wasn’t hitting puberty yet unlike Gavin. For him, it was just staying with the person he loved forever. His best friend.

For Gavin, it was more than that.

“Seriously, grow up a bit before saying such things…” the teen blushed brightly, standing up and running off into the building.

Richard frowned sadly but smiled again when the omega turned around to wave at him with a shout of ,” see ya!”

Returning to his bike, he quickly continued his way to the police station to deliver the package.

Since then, they met as often as possible through the years.

Gavin was telling Richard how life was now in a rich family, because this family was crazily rich!

“But Elijah is okay. A stupid alpha, but okay…” Gavin shrugged,” he told me that he understands why our dad cheated on his mom with my mom. Something about his mom being the evil beast she is and my mom being the sweet flower and all. Not that I knew my mom, you know that Granny told us she died when I was born,” the omega shrugged, eating his sandwich by the fountain while Richard sat on the other side of the palings on the side walk and listened intently.

“Anyway, how are those stupid twins doing?” Gavin chuckled,” are they still trying to figure out who will be the taller one between them?”

“Yeah,” Richard smiled amused,” right now, Connor is taller. But who knows for how long…”

The young alpha was about to tell his story of how he managed to build up his little business on selling sweets on the school ground when a stern omega teacher was approaching them.

“Shit, Richard, you have to get away now!! NOW!!”

“Who is that?” Richard asked worried, jumping to his feet.

“Your worst nightmare, you maggot!” the teacher hissed as she approached the palings,” and now leave before I call the police!”

“See ya, Gavin!” the alpha shouted out as he ran off smiling when Gavin waved him and received a slap behind his head and got dragged away.

Around every Valentine’s Day, Richard would throw a box of chocolate over the palings, happy when the other omegas watched them and be jealous that Gavin was one of the rare omegas with an admirer in their school.

On their birthday, they would share Gavin’s lunch or Richard would make him something for that day.

And it was perfect. Richard was sure that soon enough, he will have Gavin back in his arms again.

So when he turned 14 and waiting at their usual spot for Gavin to come, he was confused to see a group of omegas approaching him.

“You’re that alpha friend of Gavin, right?” they asked. When Richard nodded, they explained to him that Gavin graduated and was married off to some alpha they didn’t know.

“I know that his mother arranged it,” one of them started,” and that this alpha is also very wealthy”

It felt like the world was spinning. Gavin was gone. Again.

“This was when I started as paper boy. And waiter. And the rest.” Richard explained, nodding to himself.

“You lost him again, hearing that he married another alpha and you still collected money?” Tina asked, stopping to take notes.

“Well, there was this accident my father got involved in…”

“WHERE IS MY MONEY!!??” Richard burst into the living room, ignoring the crying Connor on the couch and glaring at Conrad who was comforting him.

“We took it, Richard,” Conrad said, the young adult dragging his little brother away as he started yelling and cursing at them for stealing his hard earned money.

“I wanted to buy Gavin free!!” the boy snarled,” and now I have to start--!!”

He got slapped in the face and Conrad glared him down.

“Dad is in the hospital. Some idiot crossed a red light while he was crossing the road and the insurance doesn’t want to pay for it. Sorry for taking your money, Richard, you will get it back when we dealt with these bastards. I promise”

Richard stared in horror at his brother.

“D-Dad…?” he whimpered, running to Connor and falling into his arms, bursting out into tears.

Since then, he and his brothers worked twice as hard to collect money.

Connor and Conrad had it easier, since both were 23 years old already while Richard was merely 14. They got any job they applied to. But through them, to Richard’s luck, he could take over their jobs when they moved to another more promising job applications.

He was a paper boy while the twins worked at the café and night restaurant. Both worked at the waste disposal while Richard took over their waiter positions.

Later when their father could return home and back to his job, his brothers finally could start their training and education at the police academy Detroit.

Richard moved from waiter to waste disposal, ignoring any encouragement or questions to join his brothers or go to college. He needed the money for Gavin. He felt guilty when Conrad gave him the ‘stolen’ money back one evening.

“Don’t let this Free-Gavin-Plan get into your head too much, little brother,” he warned seriously,” one day, you might regret it”

“I won’t,” Richard replied, holding his gaze with Conrad who sighed defeated and left.

The courier job was one of the jobs Richard actually got without any connection. He was fast on a bike and knew his way around the city. It was perfect and well paid.

He spent his earned money on a minimum for himself and only then when it was absolutely necessary. The rest was put back in a suit case he got as a birthday gift from his family.

“We can’t look at your bunch of money glasses anymore,” they said jokingly.

They didn’t believe in his life goal but they never stopped him from working hard for it.

After his usual Money count by the end of the week, Richard smirked at the notes in front of him. 17.002,63 Dollar. Not bad for a ‘maggot’ huh?

He closed the suit case, locked it up and hid it under his bed in his little apartment.

Sighing tiredly, he threw himself in his squeaky bed and smiled up at the ceiling. He felt like he could hug the whole world right now but knew that there was only one person he would love to have in his arms.

Leaning over to his little night stand, he opened the drawer and pulled out a framed picture, smiling at it.

There he was, a ten year old Gavin smiling at the camera while his three year old self thought it appropriate to eat sand filled hands at that very moment.

Stroking gently the face of the boy, Richard put the picture away and lied down to sleep.

His phone rang and he groaned exhausted. It was freaking 2 in the morning. Grabbing his phone and reading the message he sighed. Every penny is a penny closer to Gavin he thought tiredly.

Apparently a pizza-delivery service was short on staff and needed someone to deliver their food as fast as possible.

When Richard reached the building he felt…intimidated to be honest. It was one of those rich apartment buildings only the wealthy population of Detroit could afford.

It was weird to have a door guy opening him the …well, the door and using this fancy elevator. It even had a comfy bank in it!

Finally reaching the right floor, he looked out for the door.

“Ah, there it is,” he smiled and rang the bell. Music blared out of the apartment which meant it must be a very loud party since those walls were known to be sound proof.

As the door opened, and next to the blast of music hitting his poor ears, a familiar scent hit his nose and he stared at the last person he expected to see tonight.

“Gavin?”

The man looked up from his wallet and gasped. Instead of hugging or simply calling him, Gavin slammed the door shut.

“I…” Richard spoke up awkwardly, loud enough to be heard”…I have a pizza delivery?”

Minutes passed before the door opened again, a blushing Gavin opened the door again. The music was turned to a more reasonably volume while other strange sound from the apartment were heard.

“Hey…Richard…” he spoke softly, not looking into the other’s eyes.

Holding out the money, Richard frowned and took it, giving him the food.

“How’ve you been doing?” the alpha tried to make conversation. Gavin gave him a pained smile while telling him how happily married he is and what a nice husband he’s having.

Right at that moment, shouts and moans where heard from the bedroom, making Gavin look down hurtful at his feet. Richard took notice of his black and white uniform which was usually worn by servants of the upper class.

“Is that some weird kink of your husband?” he asked bluntly, pointing at Gavin’s uniform. That made the omega blush in embarrassment and hissing at him in anger.

“No, you idiot! I’m just his stupid omega he was forced to marry!” Gavin grabbed the pizza box harder and slammed the door shut.

Richard’s heart was beating like crazy. The alpha new he had to see his omega again.

Why ever that was, Richard got luck in delivering to this apartment more and more throughout the months.

After the third of fourth time, Gavin began to warm up to his old childhood friend again, joking of what those mysterious boxes where that his husband is ordering once a month.

Richard felt his heart flutter in happiness when the omega opened up about his marriage with the alpha.

“He’s not a bad guy, really,” he would say,” but I really would like to have somebody else as husband, because he’s a damn bad one”

“He’s not hurting you, is he?” Richard remembered asking, not able to hide his anger by the mere thought of Gavin being hurt.

“We are married now. For six years. And he didn’t touch me once” Gavin complained,” not that I want to be officially mated with that idiot, but my hea-“

He stopped talking, blushing as he stared at Richard in embarrassment for talking about this to him.

“I mean,” he clears his throat,” this marriage could be worse…but it also could be better”

Richard had a difficult time listening since the word ‘heat’ almost fell. The thought of Gavin in his arms, holding him and asking him for…things…

“I think…” he mumbled, also clearing his throat,” …I think I should be going”

“No, please, I’m sorry for making things awkward,” Gavin sighed as he held onto the young alpha’s arm, stopping him from leaving the apartment.

“Did my package arrive?” Gavin’s husband appeared from somewhere and happily took the little brown box from the omega,” you saved my day”

He gave Richard a weird glance, growling,” what do you want?”

Taking it as his cue to leave, Richard freed himself from his once childhood friend and walked quickly out the door.

How he wished to have stayed and talked to Gavin.

For the next time he visited, it was the first time outside his courier job. Dressed up in the fanciest clothes he possessed (boring dark trousers and a white shirt with only one hole) he knocked on the door. To his surprise, the door creaked open, revealing him a world of horror.

“It came out that his husband was buying drugs and I delivered it to him without knowing” Richard explained,” after raiding my apartment and making some tests with finger prints, it was clear that I was just a guy pulled into this”

“And where was Gavin?”

Gavin was gone.

Richard could barely hear his father talking to him, could barely feel his large warm hand rubbing his back. Connor and Conrad were trying to cheer him up, telling him how tough Gavin always was and how they will find him in no time.

Richard didn’t believe them.

Every night, he strolled through the streets. Looking and sniffing for anything that was a sign of Zlatko Adronikov.

Zlatko Adronikov.

The alpha who took Gavin as compensation for the money the now dead husband didn’t pay.

Richard couldn’t imagine what Gavin must suffer right now.

If he just fought harder against that Kamski beast, none of it would have happened.

If he just…

A year past when he found one of Zlatko’s minions. Richard beat him up in an abandoned alley, hissing at him,” tell Zlatko I want to meet him. Tell him I have an offer he cannot refuse”

“So what,” Tina shrugged,” you got invited. Just like that?”

“Beating some minions up and not stealing anything from him did make him curious” Richard smiled.

“Okay, so, he invited you. You met up with him and you officially bought Gavin back was clearly not what happened” she replied, showing him the case files of all the things he did while under the drug lord’s wings.

“No,” the prisoner replied,” I gave him the money, told him I want Gavin and this is how I started working for him”

In the beginning it was only courier jobs. Bring the drugs from location A to location B.

For every successful job, he was allowed to meet with Gavin for one hour.

“HOW CAN YOU BE SO STUPID!! WORKING FOR ZLATKO FUCKING ADRONIKOV ARE YOU CRAZY!?? OF COURSE YOU ARE! WHAT WHERE YOU THINKING?! OF COURSE YOU DIDN’T THINK!!” was how the first few meetings were held, with Gavin yelling at Richard furious while Richard sat on his chair in the little kitchen of the rundown apartment where Gavin was held.

Since Richard showed great potential, loyalty and of course money, Zlatko was quite happy to lock his unsuccessful omega in a bigger and more luxury apartment as a price for the newly joined alpha in his ‘family’.

“Never have I been this happy to be ugly,” Gavin confessed once when they met again, showing the scar on his face,” I tried to fight back when they killed Miles, but then I was punched in the face and landed on something sharp. Lucky me, I couldn’t be sold as sex slave or something”

“What were you doing instead?” Richard asked worried.

“Nah, just was put somewhere as janitor, then servant, then sometimes as plumber”

Taking the omegas hands in his, Richard smiled up at him,” I’m happy that I have you again”

Pulling the hands away with a blush, Gavin snapped at him to stop being so mushy.

And with each job finished, Richard was rewarded with another hour spend together with Gavin. The more dangerous the job was, the more time he was rewarded with.

One evening, Richard took out an entire gang and taking over their territory which pleased Zlatko greatly and giving him a whole night with the omega.

Not that Richard could do anything else but groan in pain on the couch while Gavin ran around him, nursing him franticly and snapping at him for being stupid.

“How many times do I have to tell you that they’re using you,” He hissed, eyes wet and angry,” the longer you stay, the worse it gets”

“I can’t leave you here…we get out, Gavin…” Richard hissed as he tried to sit up, giving up and laid back down,” we get out of here… together…I promise”

“Don’t promise something you can’t keep,” Gavin broke out crying, leaning in and kissed him.

Their very first kiss.

“It tasted salty,” Richard mused, ignoring the unimpressed look from Tina.

“Of course it was, he was fucking crying”

“It was magical none the less”

Richard climbed up the carrier stairs of crime, got his own territories, his own drug ring and became the closest member of Zlatko.

“There is something I need to discuss with you, Zlat,” he spoke up when their latest meeting was over. The other leaders took off and went to their designated rooms to sleep, only Richard was left behind, still sitting to Zlatko’s right.

“What can I do for you, Nines” his boss smiled at him,” want to spend more time with your love?”

“Actually…” Richard sipped his drink, glancing over to the other,” … there is a mission you plan to send me off to, but… but Gavin told me he’s going into heat. I was asked to…”

“I see” Zlatko chuckled,” you want to get paid beforehand this time?”

“You know I don’t ask for much, boss,” Richard shrugged, easy smile on his face, “but if it weren’t for Gavin, I wouldn’t be here”

“That is true,” Zlatko said amused, nodding. He clapped his hands and sighed,” Alright. You meet your omega before the mission. But don’t expect extra payment afterwards, got it?”

“Got it, Zlat,” Richard stood up, nodding his thanks and leaving the meeting room.

“And then?” Tina asked, noticing the alpha in front of her blush deeply.

“We…we spend those few days together…” he mumbled, not able to look at her.

“I never thought to share my first time with my childhood friend while being prisoner by a drug lord and said childhood friend as his right hand” Gavin panted holding the tired alpha above him close.

His neck marked, his heat sated, the sweating omega looked up to his mate,” what kind of mission is this, Richard”

Richard panted, still high from the feeling of bonding with his mate, and kissed Gavin.

There was not much time left before he had to leave.

The mission was planned to take a year. But it went downhill after seven months.

“OKAY! EVERYONE GET DOWN!!” Conrad yelled through the building, his team storming in and blocking any possible exit, guns ready.

Richard saw his minions about to hide and shoot but he ordered him to do as they were told.

Conrad turned around in shock, staring in horror at his little brother.

“Richard… what arE YOU DO **ING HERE!!??”**

“I am also called Nines” Richard replied, hands held on his head, kneeling down slowly, watching the minions doing the same.

“Nines…Nines who led the other drug ring under the order of Zlatko…Andronikov,” Conrad’s voice became weak, his eyes full of betrayal and hurt. Turning around, he told his man to pack up and left the building.

With Gavin still captured by Zlatko, he was silenced. Nothing would get him to talk. Not his father who was crying in disappointment, nor his brothers Connor and Conrad who were not even pulling ‘good cop, bad cop’ on him. Both were just yelling at him, cursing him and accusing him.

“I have the bad feeling…” Conrad hummed, sitting in front of his youngest brother,” …that behind all this, there is still that Free-Gavin-Plan that you never let go”

“That is correct,” Richard answered, the only thing that he could say to tell them what was going on.

Conrad jumped to his feet, climbed over the table and grabbed Richard by the collar, slapping and slapping his face from right to left, left to right, again and again. Connor had to intervene and pulled and shoved his screeching twin out the interrogation room.

“So all this. The working, the drugs, the prison. All this because you had a crush?” Tina asked confused.

Richard smiled at her.

One night, Richard glanced up from his bed, seeing Connor standing at his cell door with the keys and some gadgets.

“Don’t make me regret this, Richard,” Connor whispered, taking off his clothes and pushing them into Richard’s hands” get to Zlatko, talk to him, get a confession out of him and I promise you, we do everything in our might to get Gavin out of there”

He pointed at some hidden gadgets,” this is the tracker. Put them in your pants. These are the bugs, put them on the collar. On plain display, they won’t get noticed… mostly”

“Connor, what are you doing?” Richard asked confused, watching his brother opening the buttons on his cell uniform.

“We’re switching places, as long as I sit or lie, our height difference won’t be noticed. I also have contact lenses”

“But why?”

“I trust you, Richard. If not for me, do it for Gavin” Connor pleaded, waiting for his brother to hand over the orange uniform.

Richard nodded finally and the brothers quickly switched places, Richard now walking out in his brother’s uniform while Connor sat down on the bed, watching his brother go.

Richard entered Gavin’s apartment, already expecting Zlatko to sit there next to his omega with a gun pointed at him.

What he did not expect was seeing a very pregnant Gavin glaring at Zlatko while said alpha was grinning at Richard.

“Hello, Nines. I expect there was no incident during your escape?”

“No, Zlatko. Connor was stupid enough to trust me,” Richard explained, pulling out the tracker and the bugs,” I have the tracker and bugs here”

Richard didn’t look at Gavin as he destroyed the gadgets, staring emotionless at Zlatko chuckling satisfied.

“I always knew that you were the only one I could trust”

“Richard…” Gavin breathed out in disbelief,” …Richard, how could you? He is your brother!”

Richard ignored him, still staring at his boss,” what now? Where do we hide?”

“Here, for now,” Zlatko explained, standing up from the couch, ” well. _I_ will stay here. With Gavin and the baby. You on the other hand…”

The gun pointed at Gavin moved towards Richard,” will end up tragically dead in a dumpster and an overdose of red ice. It’s nothing personal, Nines, but I can’t take the risk of the son of the Anderson family to know all about my red ice business, human and weapon trafficking. You just know too much”

“And you just talk too much, boss,” Richard replied calmly, smiling at Gavin as the door behind him burst open with Conrad and his team storming in. The younger brother revealed the wires under his shirt, inclusive microphone and recorder. They were given to him by Conrad the moment he left the building.

Screaming in fury and knowing that he couldn’t escape, Zlatko turned back to Gavin and about to shoot.

Time seemed to slow down, Richard felt his body move before he even thought about it and then he was above his omega, with four bullets in his back.

“As you can see, I survived,” Richard smiled at her, cocking his head to the side as if he just finished a goodnight story.

“That’s… that’s quite much to process,” Tina huffed as she took her last notes,” but my last question, Mr. Anderson…”

Tina gave him an irritated look, “Ten years have passed now. You spend all your life to get this one person only to end up spending the rest of your life here. Was it even worth it?”

Richard smiled down at his hands and for the first time, Tina noticed a silver ring on his ring finger. Apparently, the prisoner was hiding it all through their conversation.

Before he could answer, though, another guard entered the room, telling Tina that her time was up and that Mr. Anderson was expecting a visit.

She followed the guard back outside and watched over her shoulder the alpha being led elsewhere.

Tina stopped shortly by the windows to the visiting rooms. Staring in wonder at the family greeting their father, she quickly pulled out her camera, taking pictures after pictures before she was forced to leave.

Back in her car, she smiled softly at her photos.

An omega greeting his husband with a kiss while three little boys around ten years old won’t stop jumping excitedly as one of them was hugging an ugly opossum in his arms.

Weird pet to have, Tina thought amused.

But in the end, she got her answer.

**Author's Note:**

> The triplets are the Jerrys by the way. And Ralph is the opossum. I didn't manage to explain it in this story, but I wanted you readers to know.  
> And sorry for every mistake I didn't correct.


End file.
